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Shoe store reviews

David's shoe store - Toronto

A true shoe conoisseur never misses a chance to walk through David's on Bloor Street.
Highlight: Their seasonal sales are a great time to stock up on fabulous buys. I scored a fabulous pair of Yves St. Laurent boots at one of their sales at half off the original $1000 ticket price.
Drawback: You can sometimes find the same shoes elsehwere for a better price. That being said, David's service and insight is unparelled.

Gallery opens with shoe showBoston Globe, United States -Jul 26, 2007Nisbet's gallery will feature a new collection of his work, titled "Shoe Sale," to coincide with Hingham's annual Summer Fest Sidewalk Sales. ...

But remember, shoe shine boys have ears too!

'Confessions' shoe-level look at Wall StreetModesto Bee, CA -22 hours agoBy DINESH RAMDE AP In the cutthroat world of Wall Street, where money is king and power an aphrodisiac, most menial workers barely merit a second glance. ...

March 13, 2006

Remove all visible dirt from the leather parts, pull out the laces if there are any. If the dirt is really stuck on, use some saddle soap to get it all out.

Using a stiff bristled-brush, gently scuff the surface of the leather. When you are done with this step, the whole surface should be dull and somewhat lighter colored. This helps the leather conditioning agents to soak in.

Apply a thin, even layer of Leather Lotion to the shoes. Work it in well with a rag. An clean shop towel is good for this. If the shoe feels damp afterwards, work it in more, and let it dry before moving on to the next step. Don't use as much lotion next time.

Using a foam or horsehair polish applicator, apply an even coat of solid paste polish. Work it in with the applicator a bit. Do this one shoe at a time, so the polish has some time to set before the next step.

Use a horsehair buffing brush to really work over the polish. Abuse it. Work hard. Apply the brush with vigor and enthusiasm. Buff until you see a good shine. Remove extra polish from the seams, eyelets, and other crevices with a rag.

(optional; I usually skip this step) For extra shine, spray or mist a little bit of water on the shoes, and buff with a soft cloth until it is as shiny as you like it.

Apply Mink Oil liberally to the entire shoe. This is the waterproofing step, so take your time and pay close attention to the seams. Use a shop rag to transfer from the can to the shoe, then spread it evenly. Excess will wipe off as you work it in, so don't worry about using too much.

Finally, use a soft cloth or an old T-shirt to buff the Mink Oil to a high shine. Light pressure is best at this point.

xoxo

Shoelover

(Note: this process is extreme overkill for synthetic shoes, and will probably destroy patent leather or suede. Use it only on smooth or 'raw' finished leathers.)

March 10, 2006

"Shoe polish is little more than colored wax [like a crayon or candle]. Actually a blend of waxes with different melting points is used to obtain a balance between ease of application [low mp] and gloss and durability [higher mp]. The colors come from pigments dispersed in the wax such as carbon black [soot] for black.When you rub the polish with the applicator brush or rag enough frictional heat is generated to melt the top paste layer and transfer it to the brush.

The same thing happens again when you rub the loaded brush on the shoe. The polish melts and transfers to the leather. Since it is melted, it can flow like a liquid [although a very viscous one] and will tend to flow into cracks and scuffs. When the polish is first applied it has a dull, matte appearance because the waxy surface is very rough and uneven [at a microscopic level] and tends to diffract light. The final buffing process with a flannel cloth melts the wax once again and smooths out the surface so that the leather is now glossy and reflective."

xoxo

Shoelover

Disclaimer - Shoelover would like to take credit for this little explaination and Shoelover will, by saying that Shoelover lifted it word for word from here (2nd Disclaimer - Shoelover does not know where these people copied the information from)

December 28, 2005

Was the first question we got about our new foam shoe trees. And the short (and long answer) is yes. Since the shoe tree is made of, well, foam, it is meant to be squeezed (don't worry, this is not a herculean task) into the shoe. It then expands to keep the shoe in its proper shape. So yes, on first appearance, the tree may look too big or wide for the shoe, I promise, it isn't.

December 14, 2005

Shoelover has been toiling, toiling in search of some great shoe storage (get it, Shoe Stor) products. One of the areas that Shoelover has been taking a look at are shoe trees. Shoe trees maintain the original shoe shape and help prevent creases/cracking.

Although some shoe trees can often cover a wide range of shoe sizes, they don't really adapt to different shoe shapes. And given that shoes, like bodies, come in a variety of shapes, one shape of shoe tree does not fit all. Try fitting a standard shoe tree in a mule or slingback like the ones in the picture

Until now (the emphasis on the font makes this look earth moving:))

Shoelover is bring out some shoe trees that are actually designed for the shape of the slingbacks and mules that we actually wear :